Adele M. Gill http://theinspirationcafeblog.net/why-does-god-allow-suffering/ “As He (Jesus) went along, He saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind? Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.”’ John 9:1-3 ________________________________________ For years I have wondered why God allows His people to endure tough, and sometimes tragic times. When infirmity or other trials strike, it is easy for those affected and those around them to ask the pressing question, “Why?” This question is especially prevalent during times of great strife, suffering, and despair. If God is all knowing, kind and merciful, how is it that at times He allows His people to suffer with seemingly insurmountable, even devastating situations? Why does God allow suffering? Sometimes God allows His people to endure much for the sake of fortitude, as we call upon Him for help and sustenance. Pain, serious illness, disability, abject poverty, and failure all readily come to mind as things that God allows us to endure—Things that propel us to call upon His Holy Name. Could it be the answer to why God allows such trials is found in the above scriptural passage? In the Old Testament, the practice of blaming the sick and their families was prevalent. This was the sort of blaming that was intrinsic to early biblical times. But in as much as Jesus came to die for us all in expiation for our sins, He has said that By His stripes, we are healed. In this New Testament Scripture, Jesus is...

By Adele M. Gill http://theinspirationcafeblog.net/top-5-scriptures-to-strengthen-you/ Strength. The world tells us, in the spirit of survival of the fittest, that we need to depend on our own strength and avoid any possible signs of weakness at all costs. Conversely, the Bible tells us there is strength in weakness, and weakness in strength. These two perspectives are in direct opposition to each other, but speak volumes to us about how different God’s path is than the world’s way. Sure, we all try at times to ‘do it alone,’ but the truth is that when God is at the helm, we are able to do infinitely more than when we are left to our own devices. It is vitally important to keep Jesus at the helm of our lives, as He is the very definition of love, the sole source of perfection and He is our strength. Other than Jesus, no one is perfect and able to love with complete abandon. Without Him, many find that ther’khaiop]\e are significant limits to what can we do on our own. Over time, when we depend on our own strength, we often meet the proverbial wall where we are often disappointed by our own inadequacies. However, there is only so much we can do on our own before life becomes a “God job.” That is, a time where our humanness is not enogh to meet the challenges at hand. Weakened by infirmity, disability, addiction, financial issues, depression and mental illness, job challenges or loss, our own personal failure, relationships gone awry, even our best laid plans can become derailed due to our human...

by Adele M. Gill “I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Matthew 9:13 Happiness is often a matter of mind over matter; but true joy is a spiritual gift that comes solely through the grace of God. For many, Lent is a time of sacrifice, a time to reflect on our spiritual lives. It is a time to give something up or let something go. Generally, we emerge from Lent with renewed fervor as we feel personally closer to Jesus Christ. But consider how different this rich season, the Lenten season, would be if we utilized tried to emulate Jesus by using this season as a time of outreach to others. A time to do as much as possible to enrich the lives of others asking nothing in return. For many Christians, Lent is a special time when we focus squarely on trying to grow spiritually. In a way, it is traditionally a time of personal reflection and offering sacrifice. Catholics in particular do a variety of things during this holy season. Some Christians give up favorite foods like chocolate or other candy. During Lent many get ashes on Ash Wednesday, abstain from meat and avoid eating in between meals on Fridays, try to go to Mass more regularly during the week, go to confession, receive palms on Palm Sunday, attend Holy Triduum: Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday. These are all great ways to recognize Lent, but there is so much more we could do to give God glory, and grow spiritually during the 40 days of Lent. ...